


Comfort

by Alicin_Wonderland



Category: The Perks of Being a Wallflower - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Love, M/M, Spooning, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-12
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2018-04-04 03:39:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4124314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alicin_Wonderland/pseuds/Alicin_Wonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is set directly after Patrick kisses Charlie when he's upset about Brad. There's cuddling, kissing, general cuteness, and some sibling anger. There will two chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lonely Night

When Patrick kissed Charlie, he received gentle pressure back from his friend immediately. Patrick assumed Charlie returned the kiss because he didn't want to be rude or because of how deep his loyalties ran. However, this time, The Falcon was completely and utterly wrong. 

At first, Charlie thought he was drowning in the scent of alcohol, aftershave, and fruity shampoo, but that wasn't it. In one singular motion he became lost in the same comfort and healing Patrick was trying to find. And, dear god, did Charlie crave the connection Patrick had formed with him.

Then it stopped without warning. Charlie's breath quickened, and went unnoticed as Patrick sobbed into his shirt uncontrollably. Someone else might not see it; Sam might not even seen it. But inside Patrick in a hidden corner, there was a deep rooted, ever growing, carnivorous sadness trying to take over. Charlie's finger tips quivered with the desire to brush them through Patrick's hair and comfort him in the way he needed. Patrick pulled away, interrupting Charlie's thoughts, his eyes bleary and unfocused.

"I'll drive you home," he said, gaze fixed on some non-existent point. 

On the drive home, Charlie considered brushing his hand over Patrick's. He considered interlocking their fingers and creating a much-needed anchor for each other. Charlie would have done it without a moment's hesitation had Patrick not had a heavy air of shame about him.

Charlie got out of the truck, trying to find the energy and willpower to say something. Anything. Instead, he gave The Falcon a quick smile and wave before whirling on one heel and bolting inside. The green kitchen clock said it was almost midnight, time for bed, to sleep this off. And he tried to, harder than he'd ever tried to sleep before. He played the Smiths, he tossed, he turned, he drank some tea. Alas, he was still awake at three thirty. 

Little did he know, a few streets over, Patrick was in bed, awake and unhappy as well. Patrick rested on the edge of the mattress; accustomed to sleepless and dreary nights.

"The Falcon... More like the Raven," he said, "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over - " His Poe impersonation faltered as he heard the low rumble of his cell phone vibrating across the room. He hauled himself to his feet and read the caller ID:

CHARLIE

Patrick briefly considered not answering it. For all Charlie knew, he was sound asleep in his bed, unaware of a simple missed call. He ran a thumb over the screen where the name was. 

"I shouldn't have kissed him," he thought, his inner-voice tinged with anger. "A friend like Charlie... well, I'd be an idiot to think I'd find another one."

He flicked open his phone. "Hello?"

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was up getting some water. What's up, Charlie?"

"Can I come over?"

"It's three thirty in the morning, can we talk tomorrow maybe. Maybe after, you know... Everyone has calmed down sufficiently."

"I am calm, Patrick. Really. Can I please walk over? I can be there in a half hour. It's important."

"Yeah, yeah... Of course. Wait," Patrick said, alarmed. "You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm fine, don't worry. I'll be there soon."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the back door."

Click. 

Charlie crept out into the cool night after he left a note on the kitchen counter saying he was spending the night at Sam and Patrick's. The air was far more calming than his bedroom; the mid-May evenings dipping into the fifties. This made everything feel clean, crisp, and new. Charlie hugged at his sides a little and plodded along the sidewalk mechanically. He enjoyed watching the first eager rays of light trying to break through the darkness and took a deep breath.

Three thirty wasn't a bad time to be out and about, he decided. Not a bad time at all. 

A minute later, Charlie knocked on the back door to Patrick and Sam's house. 

When Patrick heard the soft rapping, he stopped pacing for the first time in nearly a half hour. He opened the door silently and waved Charlie in. 

"Let's go upstairs," he whispered. "I don't want to wake everyone up."

Charlie pulled his shoes off and padded up the stairs after Patrick, the two boys trying and failing to be quiet. Patrick pulled his bedroom door shut behind them and clicked on a lamp that threw almost no light. 

Oh, well, he thought. 

"Okay, Charlie," he said. He sat at the top of his bed and pulled his legs towards him. Charlie sat at the end, dangling his feet towards the floor. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have kissed you. It was completely inappropriate of me, and I swear it'll never happen again. Let's just - "

"I'm not sorry," Charlie interrupted. 

"What?" 

"I'm not sorry," Charlie repeated, sliding towards Patrick. "It made me happy, Patrick. It made me feel better. You made me feel better. You always make me feel better, and I didn't realize it until now. Don't apologize, there's not need."

Patrick furrowed his brow and looked concerned and confused. He sat still for a minute before murmuring, "What are you trying to say?"

"I think I want to be with you."

The older of the two boys seemed to get angry at himself. "Don't do that, Charlie! Don't give me pity-affection. I don't want it. And I know you're not gay."

"You do? Because I don't. Even if I'm not gay, there's numerous sexualities that could include this. But who cares? I'm not concerned with a label at the moment. I just wanted to tell you how I felt." Charlie got up to leave, realizing this was an unsuccessful endeavor at the best. 

Patrick paused. "How you "felt" or how you feel?"

Charlie waited a moment, his back to Patrick. "How I feel." 

"Then please stay, please don't go, Charlie."

"Really?" Charlie asked, turning to face him. 

Patrick got up from the bed and covered the distance between him and Charlie in two easy strides. He leaned in, interlocking both hands with Charlie's, and kissed him. "Really."

Charlie smiled at him, which quickly formed into a yawn, and he shook his head. "Sorry."

"No, I agree. I haven't slept at all and it's past four. Do you want to borrow some of my pjs?" 

"Yeah. No one wants to sleep in jeans." Patrick leaned all the way over to retrieve a pair of black sweatpants from his dresser and Charlie tried to avert his gaze. But, as Patrick would say, he has a damn fine ass. 

Charlie changed as Patrick tossed his shirt to the floor, while haphazardly climbing into bed. He burrowed beneath the covers to escape the cold room. He peeked out from underneath the comforter, a messy mop of black hair and gorgeous eyes. Charlie thought he was beautiful and that he looked a bit like a puppy. The younger boy looked around awkwardly, not quite knowing where to sleep and decided the floor was a safe bet. Just as he went to lay down - 

"What are you doing?" Patrick exclaimed. "Charlie, get in bed."

He smiled a slow smile. "Okay." When Charlie got into the bed, he was careful not to touch Patrick, for fear of doing something he was uncomfortable with. Patrick rolled over to face Charlie and held one his arm and the sheets up, beckoning him to come closer. So he did. He pressed himself right up against Patrick’s bare chest, happily listening to his heart beat a little too quick. They started rubbing each other’s back, for comfort and plain togetherness. 

“Are you okay?” Patrick whispered. 

“I’m better than okay. Are you okay?”

“Perfect,” he said, kissing Charlie on top of his head. 

A minute later, Charlie started giggling. 

“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked, pulled away to face him. 

Charlie looked down where there was a distinct tent in Patrick’s plaid pajama pants. “Am I that attractive?”

Patrick smacked him over the head with a pillow, “Oh, shut up. I can’t help it. There’s a hot guy in my bed.”

“Okay, we really need to sleep, I’m getting a headache,” Charlie told him. He wrapped his arms around Patrick, squeezed him hard, and then rolled over so he was the little spoon. 

“Goodnight, Charlie.”

“Goodnight...Patrick...”


	2. Sam

Sam was the one that found Patrick and Charlie tangled together in the morning. She banged on the door around ten and, upon receiving silence, busted in without a thought. Both Charlie and Patrick groaned as they woke from a less-than-refreshing sleep. 

“Oh,” was all she said. 

Patrick rolled his eyes, whipped a pillow at her, and hissed, “Get out!”

She slammed the door behind her and stomped down the stairs. 

“That was kind of harsh, Patrick... do you think she’s okay? Do you think she’s okay with this?”

Patrick sighed, kissing Charlie on the cheek. “No, she’s not okay. I’ll apologize later. In all fairness, she knows I’m not a morning person,” he joked. Then he paused and muttered, “And no. She’s probably not okay with this, either. But I don’t care, you make me happy.”

“Do I?” Charlie inquired. 

“Yes, you do.”

Patrick spent the next hour apologizing to his parents for having a “friend” over without telling them and promised he would let the know next time Charlie stays over. They weren’t all that angry, though; Patrick had done far worse things in the past. When Charlie arrived at his house, having left to avoid a confrontation with Sam, he had a similar apologetic conversation with his parents. 

When he went upstairs, his sister stopped him. 

“It’s not like you to run out of the house in the middle of the night, Charlie.”

“It’s not like you to care, Candice.”

“You didn’t sleep with Sam did -” Candice started to say, but she was interrupted by the ringing of Charlie’s phone. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Charlie,” Patrick said softly. “So I, uh, waited until you left to tell my parents we’re... together. They want to have over for an ‘official’ dinner tonight.”

Charlie started to fidget, nervous at the prospect of having an “official dinner”. He hadn't decided what to tell his own parents yet and didn't know how they'd react. “Um, okay, what time?”  
“Seven sound good to you?”

“Yeah, sure, seven’s great.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Click.


End file.
